


(It’s Amazing) What Baking Can Do

by Blissfulbroadway



Series: Alice By Heart Bakery AU [1]
Category: Alice by Heart - Sheik/Sater/Sater & Nelson
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bakery, Bisexual Male Character, Cute, Fluff, Gay Male Character, M/M, No Angst, No death!, its actually very happy and cute imo which is very off brand for me!, little babies!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24851308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blissfulbroadway/pseuds/Blissfulbroadway
Summary: Dodgefred bakery au
Relationships: Alfred Hallam/Dodgy Dawkins
Series: Alice By Heart Bakery AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071815
Comments: 12
Kudos: 15





	(It’s Amazing) What Baking Can Do

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise bitch! I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me.

Dodgy Dawkins didn’t know if he had made the worst or best mistake in his premature career. He just hired Alfred Hallam, a cute, curly-haired freckly thing with the dearest smile. And, yeah, as much as Dodgy believed in loving what you did and having fun at work, he realized he probably should’ve asked his new co-worker a couple more questions. Needing the job and thinking it might be fun weren’t the greatest offers to hear when interviewing a possible future worker, but Dodgy was a total sucker for fidgety, dorky boys! And besides, he had never seen anyone put so much blind optimism into anything before in his whole life! It was endearing, Dodgy had to admit. 

Besides, even if Alfred ended up being the worst baker in the whole universe, Dodgy needed all the help he could get. It had been a couple of weeks since he posted a flyer and an ad here or there, much to no avail. Not one single person showed much interest. That is, except for Alfred. Dodgy couldn’t say no!

Even when Alfred was half an hour late to his very first day on the job, Dodgy still had hope for him. It was starting to dissipate, but it was still there. The only thing keeping him going that morning was the hope that this was exactly what he needed to help boost his bakery and cause his business to get started up again.

Dodgy’s parents passed the shop down to him just this year. All of their employees had left, and so all Dodgy really had was himself. His father came in to manage the funds sometimes, and his mother replaced any appliances and ingredients Dodgy needed. But, they both wanted nothing to do with manual labor anymore. So, it was up to their son to keep the business running. 

Speaking of running, Alfred Hallam ran into the shop door not even a couple of moments later, out of breath and bewildered. 

“I didn’t realize the time! I-I missed- I missed my alarm, and I slept in, and then I missed the  _ train _ ! I ran here as fast as I could!” Alfred panted, checking the time on his watch again as if he hadn’t already tortured himself by doing so a million times before. Once he had explained himself, he hunched over to catch his breath and force himself to calm down.

Dodgy wasn’t the most patient person in the world, but he didn’t want to berate the poor boy on his first day. 

“You really have to give yourself a break, darling. I’m not here to yell at you if that’s what you’re expecting. Now, come inside before you go into cardiac arrest and scare off the customers.” Dodgy teased, gesturing for Alfred to come inside. There was still about two hours until the shop even opened. But, that didn’t mean there wasn’t dough to rise and batter to prepare. 

Alfred was quick to follow Dodgy, breathless but a bit calmer than before. He didn’t say a word, far too confused about Dodgy’s nonchalance. If he were working under his father, Alfred knew he’d immediately be fired and scolded over something like punctuation—here Dodgy was...teasing him? Alfred was dizzy with feelings. 

Alfred went through the rest of his first day learning the basics: how to use all the different equipment, all the simpler treats he’d be expected to prepare every day, and so on. It was overwhelming, but Alfred knew it was his fault picking a job he was incredibly inexperienced in. Dodgy only ever laughed at his naivety or chided him for his mistakes. The only thing that truly mattered to Alfred now was the fact he got to go to work again the next day. 

• • •

That was exactly what Alfred got to do. Every day, he showed up to work—on time, at that. Alfred did all Dodgy asked him to, and things were going smoothly for the amount of skill Alfred had. Compared to the shop without him, Dodgy was lucky to have him working by his side.

This afternoon was slow, and most of the food that was gone by lunchtime was already in the oven. So, Dodgy thought it was the perfect time to teach Alfred something new. 

“Alfred?” Dodgy called behind him, tone as cheery and expectant as ever. “Are you busy?”

Alfred poked his head up from where he had been watching some macarons baking in the oven, head snapping back in Dodgy’s direction. 

“Not at the moment, no.” He wiped his hands on his apron before straightening up and smiling nervously to Dodgy. “Do you need anything?” Alfred asked.

Dodgy had already started to spread out some flour across an area big enough to mix and mold some dough. 

“I think it’s time to move onto...bigger things. C’mere,” Dodgy beckoned Alfred over after he grabbed a big mixing bowl. “We’re going to make some baguettes. Now, they’re no easy feat, but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it. Oh, don’t make that face,” Dodgy laughed upon seeing Alfred’s face twist up in worry. “You’re going to give yourself wrinkles, darling. And grey hairs, if you keep that up. You have the most gorgeous curls I’ve ever seen, and it’d be tragic if they lost their color.”

Alfred didn’t know what to say, only chewing on his lower lip and ignoring the heat filling his cheeks. 

“Uhm..sorry. I don’t want another challah incident, is all.” Alfred reminded, eyeing the worktable in front of them. He had made only one or two successful batches of challah bread, either burning all his attempts, putting them into the oven too early, or completely getting the mixture wrong. But, Dodgy was patient, and he re-explained how to make it during their downtime. Tabatha, one of his most loyal customers— and someone who frequented the reduced-price leftovers— insisted it was the best challah bread she’s ever gotten there. 

“There’s no room for insecurity here, Alfred,” Dodgy pointed out, pouting his lips and giving Alfred a warning look. The timid boy only tensed at his expression but nodded regardless. 

“I know, I know.” He straightened up and lifted his chin ever so slightly, just the way Dodgy told him to stand when his worry started to get the best of him. “I’m ready. Let’s...make some baguettes, I guess.” Alfred smiled even if his eyes still sparkled with their usual hesitance. Alfred knew that the prep time to make baguettes was unbearable in itself, and he didn’t want to be the reason they were ready after the morning rush. 

With that, Dodgy proudly squeezed Alfred’s shoulder before diving into explaining the mixture. Alfred followed along and tried his best to make sure he remembered all the measurements for later. Soon enough, everything was in the bowl, and Dodgy watched from the side as Alfred started to mix everything up with a big wooden spoon. 

He was sure Alfred had it until the dough started to form. Dodgy barely had time to check on all the other treats still baking in the oven before he looked back to Alfred. It was the most pitiful thing he’d ever seen.

Alfred stood as stiff as a board, reluctantly poking his fingers in the dough. He was unsure how long to knead it, and more simply, what sort of technique he’d need to use to even do so. 

Dodgy gave a tiny sigh, but he came back to Alfred’s rescue, placing his palms on top of Alfred’s hands. Startled, Alfred looked back to Dodgy, but he didn’t make any move to pull away. 

“I’m here to help,” Dodgy coaxed, slowly pressing Alfred’s palms into the dough. “Just let me guide your hands, dear. You’re not afraid of cooties, are you?” He teased, moving Alfred’s hands underneath his own. 

Alfred gulped. 

“Like this...?” He asked, voice trembling. This was more intimate than Alfred expected it to be. But, he wasn’t complaining. One less mistake in the future.

Dodgy grinned and nodded, still methodically helping Alfred knead the ball of dough. 

“That’s perfect, Alf. Keep going.” Dodgy urged, his voice growing softer once he heard Alfred’s. All too suddenly, the mood seemed to shift. Dodgy didn’t know what to think, so he blamed it on the sultry R&B that swept throughout the shop. They needed some noise to get them through each day. Sometimes, the beeping of timers alone was enough to make them go mad. 

A noise Dodgy didn’t realize he was dreading snapped him from his thoughts. There was a bell on the door that went off each time a customer came inside.

“I better get that. Keep kneading that until it’s flat, and I’ll help you shape it after.” Dodgy promised, pulling away and scurrying off to greet the customer waiting at the counter. 

Alfred already missed Dodgy’s warmth. 

• • •

Just as Alfred had mastered the basics, he mastered baguettes. What was more confusing to him was the feeling— or many, many feelings— Dodgy left behind in his absence. Although, Alfred felt many things in his presence, as well. Butterflies in his stomach weren’t as easy to deal with as overfilled rugelach or under-risen babka. 

Alfred was incredibly distracted one morning. He came into work on time and prepared whatever bakes Dodgy instructed him to start on each morning. But, something was off. 

Today, more than ever, Alfred couldn’t shake off the fuzzy feelings Dodgy made him feel each and every day he came into work. Dodgy didn’t notice anything was up for the most part.

Well, until Alfred was covered from the waist up in flour. 

“No, no, no, no,” Alfred muttered under his breath, frantically scooping up flour into his hands and attempting to shove it all back into the exploded bag. 

Dodgy had been piping delicate roses onto a cake when he heard the crash, rushing to wherever Alfred had been occupying the kitchen. 

“Alfred?” Dodgy asked, frozen at the sight. And what a sight to behold! “What happened?” It was difficult, but Dodgy was holding back any laughter that threatened to escape at the sight of Alfred coated in flour. 

Alfred jumped at the sound of Dodgy’s voice, looking to him. He couldn’t really see him through his dirtied glasses and the panicked tears that welled up in his eyes.

“Nothing! Everything is just fine! Nothing to see here!” Alfred giggled uneasily, though he was a couple more seconds away from bursting into tears. 

“Oh, darling,” Dodgy cooed, quickly prying the broken bag of flour from Alfred’s hands before guiding him away from the counter and to the nearest sink. “Let’s get you cleaned up before we open, yeah?” 

Before he knew it, Alfred was being sat down on Dodgy’s designated stool. He was usually found sitting or kneeling on it as he frosted cakes and sculpted little fondant decorations. 

“You’re a mess,” Dodgy stated bluntly, slipping Alfred’s glasses from his face. “But, that’s alright. Aren’t we all, at times?” He smiled kindly, reaching around Alfred’s shoulders to untie his apron and hang it up.

“The bag just slipped from my hands, is all,” Alfred explained sheepishly, voice breaking in absolute embarrassment. If his father were here to see him now...

Dodgy only nodded, even if he had a sense more was going on than meets the eye. Alfred was fairly jumpy and clumsy already, but he seemed off. Still, he was in no way able to handle talking about it yet, Dodgy assumed. So, for now, he treated Alfred with the utmost care and compassion he could at the moment, even if the mere sight of him was enough to make him guffaw. 

“Y’know, this isn’t my first time dealing with flour.” Dodgy smiled cheekily and grabbed another stool to sit across from Alfred and help him clean off. “I think I must’ve been...thirteen or so? I had just had my bar mitzvah, and my dad was super into getting me to learn all the  _ manly _ stuff about baking. The heavy lifting, and all that.” Dodgy found a dry hand towel nearby, using it to carefully scrape some of the powder from Alfred’s skin as he reminisced. “He had never carry a couple of these big, heavy sacks of flour, y’know? Bigger than the bags we get here. I could barely carry one!” He giggled. “I was even smaller than I am now, so I’m sure you could imagine how that went. Anyways, I managed to carry, like, three or so of those big bags, and just before I could put them down onto the counter, I dropped one straight onto the floor. Just my luck, because my mother had been on the floor grabbing some trays or something. It covered her in the stuff. She wouldn’t speak to me for a week.” 

At that point, Alfred had calmed down enough where he knew he wouldn’t cry. Dodgy even managed to get a tiny smile from him! 

“I won’t stop speaking to you for a week,” Alfred promised quietly, the corners of his lips curling up. “Especially if it means you tell more stories. I like your voice,” Alfred admitted. 

Dodgy chortled and pulled the cloth away to take a look over Alfred’s face and see what was left to clean. It was a good excuse to take him all in, as well. 

“You think so?” Dodgy smirked, eyeing Alfred’s face and slowly reaching out to wipe away the rest of the flour with his fingertips instead. If Alfred asked, Dodgy decided he’d tell him it was more efficient. 

Whether or not it was true, Alfred didn’t question it, only moving his face into Dodgy’s touch, eyes falling closed. He never realized how touch starved he was until he had flour explode in his face and a pretty boy helped him clean it all up. 

“Yeah,” Alfred said at last, just above a whisper. He forced himself to open his eyes again, looking up to Dodgy. For once, Dodgy shut up, only looking back at Alfred. His eyes seemed to hold the whole world in them, just waiting for Alfred to come explore him for himself. Just like before, though, Dodgy tore his gaze away, wiping his fingers on his apron and clearing his throat. 

“I better go check on the muffins. Wouldn’t want them to burn.” He muttered, rushing off before Alfred could even think about what happened. And,  _ god _ , did he want to think about what happened. 

Luckily, the sound of the storefront bells ringing pulled him from his thoughts, and he rushed to greet whoever was at the counter. None other than his dearest, bestest friend Alice came through the door. She was a bit blurry, as he didn’t even have time to put on his glasses, but he still recognized her face. 

“Alice?” “Alfred?” Their voices overlapped and their brows furrowed with confusion for the other. 

“What’re you doing here?” Alfred asked, checking the clock. They opened around eight, but the doors were unlocked for the early birds and loyal customers. Not even Tabatha had shown up yet, and she was always the first in line to pick up a cinnamon roll or muffin or something of the like. 

“A girl can’t buy some sweets for breakfast?” Alice asked, scrunching up her nose. “What happened to you?” She bit back a giggle. “Did you fight with a powder puff this morning?” 

Alfred’s eyes went up to his hair, and he suddenly remembered what had happened. 

“Oh, right. I dropped a bag of flour, and it went all over. I didn’t have time to clean it all.” He explained, emphasizing his point with a quick fluffing to his hair. Just as expected, a plume of smoke rose from his curls. 

Alice giggled and clicked her tongue.

“I can see that. You look like you’re playing the Queen of Hearts.” 

Alfred gave a playful roll of his eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah. The only thing being played is my heart.” Alfred lowered his voice, leaning closer to Alice. She eyed the kitchen for a moment before leaning in with him and listening intently.

“Do tell,” Alice urged. 

“Dodgy,” Alfred whispered. “I think...I like him?” He didn’t even realize what he was feeling until he blurted it out. 

Alice pulled back, hopping in place and holding her hands to her chest. She had come to terms with her feelings for her best friend, and she knew it would never work. So, she promised to instead encourage whatever feelings he had and reinforce how much he deserved love. He worked himself to the bone every day. It was the least he could get after all of this, anyways. 

“Really?” She asked excitedly, though she made sure to keep her voice hushed just in case. “I’m so happy for you, Alfred! Have you told anyone?” 

“No one. But...he makes me feel all warm, y’know? Happy, even.” 

“Alfred, you have to ask him out!” Alice insisted. “And,” she smirked. “You have to get me a chocolate muffin, as well.” She gestured to the time. “I’ve got to head out soon, but I wanted to say hello. And, as your bestest friend, it is my duty to tell you to go get him! A chance like this is rare, with the life you live. You of all people should know that.” Alice reached up and patted Alfred’s cheek after he slid her muffin towards her. 

“Tell me when the wedding is.” She cooed, dropping a couple of pounds onto the counter in front of him before waving goodbye. “I’ll talk to you la-ter!” Alice sang.

With that, Alfred was left alone for just a few moments to collect his thoughts and breathe. Then, he dove back into his work. 

• • •

Alfred had spent just over three months at the bakery. It was nearing wintertime, and Dodgy was heavily dreading it. Yeah, he would be able to spend special holidays with his family and friends, but the bakery was at its peak. Everyone was in a kinder, more cheerful mood, and that meant impromptu sweets for loved ones and all sorts of treats made in large batches for parties and social gatherings. 

Dodgy and Alfred had been managing the shop fairly well together. Dodgy’s father paid them every other Friday at ten p.m. sharp, and Alfred convinced his parents that his job met their standards—though, they were dismayed their dearest son didn’t want to become a lawyer or doctor like they had planned all his life. 

Regardless, Dodgy was having a bit of trouble keeping up with all the complicated desserts by himself. He usually had Alfred stick to bread and the plain cakes and cupcakes. Still, more and more people expected perfect little pastries and elaborate tiered cakes. 

Dodgy was considered the artist out of the two. It was his passion since he was old enough to hold a pencil. But, drawings and paintings turned to frosting and piping and sculpting with fondant. 

Still, he was determined to teach Alfred some of his craft. His hands had gotten considerably steadier with time, and he didn’t shake while he frosted cupcakes anymore. 

So, there the two of them were after the shop was all closed up. 

“Alfie?” Dodgy inquired, rinsing a handful of whisks in a nearby sink. “Do you think you can stay overtime with me? I’ll tell dad to pay you extra.” He offered. 

Alfred ignored the way his heart leapt in his chest. Alfie. Instead, he pushed his silly thoughts away and smoothed out his apron. 

“That’s perfectly fine, yeah.” Alfred nodded. “What’s up?”

“As you know, the holidays are coming. Fortunately, that always brings in business. But, that also means a lot more work for us both. I was wondering if I could show you some advanced piping tonight? You’ve been doing everything right so far, and I notice all of the work you’ve been putting in. Trust me.” Dodgy smiled kindly. “Still, I think it’d be beneficial to at least attempt something more difficult. I’ll be with you the whole time, yeah? This is just practice. Maybe you won’t even end up doing any piping or anything! How does that sound?”

Alfred was always eager to learn, and he did everything in his power to please everyone he’s ever met. Oftentimes, he went as far as obsessing over whatever it was that pleased them. This would be no different. 

“I’ll do my best.” Alfred agreed, nodding hesitantly but walking around the island and ending up at Dodgy’s side. 

Dodgy laid out some parchment paper before heaving the excess frosting from that day onto the counter. He expertly cut open a frosting bag and attached the tip before scooping a generous amount of filling into the bag. Once that was all done, he held it out to Alfred before repeating the process to prepare a bag for himself. 

“Now, just copy everything I do. Be slow, be precise, and try not to shake. You’ll get the hang of it.” Dodgy promised. 

That was seeming very unlikely as time passed. Alfred had gone through two frosting bags already, each attempt becoming sloppier as he went on. The longer he practiced, the more frustrated he became. Dodgy had tried talking him through it and offering praise, but it was obvious Alfred started to fixate on it. And, once he fixated on something, it was hard to pull him away. 

Not knowing what to do, Dodgy packed up his things, wished Alfred good luck, and bid him goodbye for that night. He told Alfred to clean up and lock the doors when he was done, but Dodgy had a feeling Alfred would spend the whole night there, piping tiny flowers and fancy curls and little shapes till his hands cramped up. 

That was exactly what Alfred did. Dodgy came back to the shop an hour before he usually opened up— he had a feeling Alfred was working himself over the edge— and went to the kitchen. Sure enough, Alfred was there, wiping sweat from his forehead and frantically piping flower after flower. The frosting had been scraped up and reused more times than he could count. 

Dodgy quietly walked up to Alfred, shushing him and prying the frosting bag from his hands. Only then did Alfred realize Dodgy was there, startled at the sight of him. Before he could say a word, Dodgy was holding his face so gently, stroking his cheekbones with the pads of his thumbs, and speaking to him. Alfred snapped out of his frenzied state, reaching up to hold Dodgy’s arms and keep his hands on his face. He needed comfort and reassurance, as his thoughts were still running wild and his anxiety surged. 

“Alfred?” Dodgy repeated yet again, his voice silky smooth and quiet. Alfred hadn’t answered him yet, his eyes flickering across Dodgy’s face but his mind occupying another planet. “Hey, hey, Alfie?” Dodgy brushed his hands back through Alfred’s hair before moving down his cheeks again, trying desperately to ground him. “You have to go home, now, love. It’s time to rest a bit. I can handle the shop alone today, alright?” 

Alfred sucked in a sharp breath before letting it out slow, nodding along. He listened to it all, but it was hard to comprehend when the only thing his mind was stuck on was the fact he was running out of time. Alfred felt that there would be none left, and he’d ruin the whole business; Dodgy might fire him and replace him and never ever speak to him again, and all because he didn’t know how to make some stupid little flowers on a cake. 

“Can I practice?” Alfred croaked. “Once more?” He never finished until he was done. He didn’t feel that he was done yet. 

Dodgy looked to the piping work scattered across the counter. While much of it was frantic and messy, he knew Alfred had been at it all night. And, besides, there were plenty of perfect frosting flowers peppered around the shaky squiggles. Dodgy smiled back up to Alfred, shaking his head and moving his hands down to squeeze his shoulders. 

“That’s not necessary, darling. Not right now. You’ve done an excellent job, and all, and you’ll wear yourself out if you do any more of that for the night.” It was the morning now, but Dodgy didn’t want to stress Alfred out any more than he had. He regretted sounding so urgent. Still, he hoped his encouragement and supervision would result in something a little less detrimental the next time around. 

“How about I call you a taxi?” Dodgy suggested, still calmly rubbing Alfred’s shoulders and watching as he slowly sank beneath the touch. Damn, that boy was tense. “You can have the day off for all of your hard work. You’ll be paid for yesterday’s overtime, and a full workday today, alright? For now, all you have to worry about is taking care of yourself and getting to bed.” 

“Are you sure? What about-“ Alfred had started to speak, but Dodgy cut him off. 

“I’ll be fine. Everything will be just fine. If I really need the help, I’ll call you in.” He wouldn’t do that, but anything to get Alfred back home and asleep was something worth fibbing about. “Is that okay?”

“Okay.” Alfred chewed on his lower lip. “Do you still want me to start on the bread? Before we open?” He asked, brows still knitted together in concern. Dodgy shook his head and smiled. 

“No, thank you. How about I let you clean up all the frosting, and clean the table, and then you can head on home?” Dodgy didn’t want to keep Alfred here, but he knew he would make a fuss if he was let out without something to do. Dodgy hated his hardworking disposition in times like these, as it was difficult to get Alfred to care for himself over everyone else. 

“...deal,” Alfred agreed, reluctantly slipping from Dodgy’s light grasp to clean up all the frosting and wash the table. Dodgy watched for a moment out of pure worry before he started on preparing whatever Alfred usually ended up starting. Luckily he arrived extra early, or else he wouldn’t have gotten everything done on time. 

Before long, the table was sparkling, the old frosting was discarded, and Alfred stretched out his back and arms. Who knew being hunched over for nine hours doing the same thing over and over did that to a person? 

“Ready to go? Beauty rest is good for you, y’know.” Dodgy reminded, smiling and guiding Alfred to the front of the shop. “Let me fetch you a cab, darling. Get yourself all sorted out, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Alfred was sent home a couple of minutes later, giving Dodgy the whole day to tend to himself and the bakery. 

His mind always went back to Alfred. How much he cared. How much he’d do for him. How much he felt for him. 

The day was far too busy to dwell on the morning, though, so Dodgy pushed it all away. 

• • •

The holiday season came closer and closer, and before long, Alfred and Dodgy were doubling down and baking more bread and cakes than they ever had in their lives. They trucked on through and managed everything fairly well. 

It was the start of December now; staying later to prepare enough bread for the next day was a common occurrence. That gave Alfred and Dodgy more than enough time to get more than acquainted with one another. They talked for hours as they prepared buns and pastries and the like. At this point, Dodgy knew just about everything about Alfred, and Alfred knew just about everything about Dodgy. When they didn’t talk, they danced to whatever playlist Dodgy had playing over the speakers of the shop. 

Alfred decided to finally shoot his shot and take a chance on all of this. Yeah, perhaps asking out the man you spent the majority of your time with almost every day wasn’t the best choice to make, but Alfred was in the holiday spirit. Things were hopeful and happy, and Alfred fought against every single urge to calculate and analyze and make sure everything was perfect before making a move. For once in his whole life, he did something bold without the help of Alice or his parents. 

The night prior, Alfred stayed a couple of hours after Dodgy left to bake a cake. It was a fairly simple rainbow layer cake, in Dodgy’s favorite flavor: strawberry. He didn’t frost it aside from the crumb coat and the layers of thick buttercream in between the slices. That’s where the morning came in handy. 

Before the sun had even come up, Alfred was situated back at the counter that had become a second home to him. He turned on Dodgy’s playlist for the shop and got to work, sliding the cake he had assembled the night before out of the freezer and onto a nearby workbench. 

Alfred took his time covering the cake in the dreamiest blue and purple frostings, all different shades, to create an ombré sort of effect. All around, he piped tiny stars in pale yellow and white. He even sprinkled edible glitter on top. Alfred had just finished writing out his message before the door to the shop opened and Dodgy stepped inside. 

“Alfred?” Dodgy called out, hanging up his coat and scarf before making his way to the kitchen. “You’re here early. What’re you-“ Alfred cut him off. 

“I have a surprise for you,” Alfred announced nervously, clasping his hands together in front of his chest. He stood in front of the cake so Dodgy wouldn’t peek at it, hesitating for a couple of moments. He could always just knock the cake over and pretend none of this ever happened. But, if he never took a leap, he knew he’d regret it. 

“Here.” Alfred slid the cake over to Dodgy, smiling nervously. 

Dodgy read the words across the cake: “It would be a dream come true to date you.”

His heart stopped in his chest, and he looked up to Alfred. 

“What?” He laughed nervously. “Who is this for?” 

Alfred’s heart sank, and he paused. His mouth felt dry, but he spoke regardless. 

“You. I-I made it for-...er, you. Do you...want to go out sometime, Dodgy?” 

Dodgy almost fainted right then and there. No, he absolutely wasn’t opposed to being dramatic. That was his whole brand! But, he wasn’t too sure how well Alfred would react to him swooning. So, Dodgy forced himself to nod. Once he started, he looked like a bobblehead, in a bit of shock over all of this. Hell, Alfred made a  _ cake _ for him! 

“Yes. Yes! I’d love that very much.” Dodgy agreed, taking a good look at the cake. “You really put some  _ work _ into this, darling.” He laughed and admired Alfred’s handiwork. “It’d be cruel of me to say no. You even took out the glitter! For me!” 

Alfred’s shoulders sank in pure relief, and he broke out into the cheesiest grin. 

“Of course I did! Glitter makes everything look better.” He reminded, a philosophy Dodgy stood by through and through—he said it almost every time he got to use glitter on desserts. Alfred understood why now; he was proud of himself, and for good reason. The cake was stunning. 

Dodgy laughed and went around the counter to wrap his arms around Alfred and hug him close. 

“Thank you. This made my day. And...I think it’d be a waste if we didn’t dig into it and have a little taste. You made your cake, now eat it, too.” Dodgy joked, already digging out some of their fancy paper plates they gave out when people didn’t get their treats wrapped up. 

“It’s  _ your _ cake,” Alfred said. “Made just for you. Strawberry with vanilla buttercream. And, there’s a surprise inside.” 

“Oh?” Dodgy tilted his head, giving a quizzical look before he found a knife to carefully cut into it. He gasped when he saw the neat rainbow layers inside. If Dodgy had a dream cake, this would certainly qualify. 

“You’re incredible, Alfred!” Dodgy exclaimed, standing on his toes to press a kiss to Alfred’s cheek before he finished cutting up a piece for him and Alfred. “Thank you so much. This is exactly what I needed, and I didn’t even know it!”

Alfred chuckled and gave a bow. 

“Well, I’m glad you love it. It’s a little better than a leftover muffin or bun for breakfast, I hope?”

“So much better.” Dodgy agreed, handing Alfred a fork and grabbing one for himself. Almost immediately, he dug into the cake, moaning at the taste. 

“I’m in love,” Dodgy announced through a mouthful of food. 

Alfred and Dodgy both had a feeling that went deeper than strawberry rainbow cake, but two boys knew only time could really tell.


End file.
